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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

32. Valāhakasaṁyutta: On Cloud Gods

I. Gods of the Clouds — SN32.13-52: How Giving Helps to Become a Warm Cloud God, Etc.

1At Sāvatthī.

Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:

“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods of warm clouds … thunder clouds … windy clouds … rainy clouds?”

“Mendicant, it’s when someone does good things by way of body, speech, and mind. And they’ve heard: ‘The gods of rainy clouds are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ They think: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the gods of rainy clouds!’ They give food … a lamp. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of rainy clouds. This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods of rainy clouds.”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā uṇhavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ … pe … abbhavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ … pe … vātavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ … pe … vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī"ti?

"Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco kāyena sucaritaṁ carati, vācāya sucaritaṁ carati, manasā sucaritaṁ carati. Tassa sutaṁ hoti: ‘vassavalāhakā devā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā’ti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjeyyan’ti. So annaṁ deti … pe … padīpeyyaṁ deti. So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī"ti.

Dvepaññāsamaṁ.